Director of Human Resources & Benefits

Gulf Coast Protection District  •  Houston, Texas

About GCPD

The Gulf Coast Protection District (GCPD) is a special-purpose district created by the Texas Legislature under S.B. 1160, 87th Regular Session, to serve as the non-federal sponsor for the Sabine Pass to Galveston Bay (S2G) and Coastal Texas (CTX) coastal storm risk management projects. Partnering with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a 65/35 federal-to-local cost-share, GCPD is responsible for managing nearly $1 billion in state appropriations and coordinating one of the largest coastal infrastructure programs in the nation, protecting millions of people and billions of dollars of assets along the Texas Gulf Coast.

GCPD is a small, high-impact organization with a lean professional staff. Every team member plays a meaningful role in delivering a historically significant public infrastructure program.

Position Summary

GCPD seeks an experienced human resources leader to establish and lead a standalone HR and benefits function, building on the foundational systems, policies, and compensation structures already in place. This position serves as the District’s primary point of contact for recruitment, classification and compensation, benefits administration, employee relations, HR compliance, and personnel policy.

This is a foundational leadership role requiring both hands-on HR administration and strategic judgment, in a small-team environment where the Director will build the function largely from the ground up in partnership with the Executive Leadership Team.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

HR Strategy and Administration

• Serve as GCPD’s subject-matter authority on human resources policy, employment law compliance, and personnel administration.
• Own and maintain the Employee Handbook, Administrative Policy Manual HR sections, and related personnel procedures, keeping them current with federal, state, and local employment law and general practices.
• Serve as administrator for the District’s HRIS, maintaining data integrity, workflows, and reporting.

Recruitment and Onboarding

• Manage full-cycle recruitment for GCPD, including postings, sourcing, screening, interview coordination, and offer development, in partnership with hiring managers and the Executive Leadership Team.
• Design and administer new employee onboarding, ensuring consistent orientation to GCPD policy, benefits, and culture.
• Support workforce planning for budgeted vacancies across departments.

Compensation and Benefits

• Administer GCPD’s group health, retirement, and ancillary benefit plans, serving as primary liaison to insurance brokers, plan administrators, and vendors, including retirement plan recordkeepers.
• Lead annual benefits renewal, open enrollment, and employee benefits communication.
• Partner with the Executive Review Team on the annual compensation process, market benchmarking, and budget development for salaries and benefits.
• Maintain compliance with applicable retirement plan requirements.

Employee Relations and Compliance

• Provide guidance to management on performance management, progressive discipline, and conflict resolution consistent with GCPD policy.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local employment laws, including FLSA, FMLA, ADA, Texas Government Code Chapter 659, Texas Payday Law, and applicable GAO Article IX provisions.
• Maintain accurate, audit-ready personnel files and HR recordkeeping in support of external audit and open records requirements.
• Investigate and help resolve employee relations matters.

Organizational Development

• Maintain GCPD’s organizational charts and job description library, keeping them aligned with the District’s evolving structure.
• Support a positive workplace culture, including initiatives such as Great Place to Work certification efforts.
• Partner with department leads on training, professional development, and succession planning.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Public Administration, or a related field; equivalent professional experience will be considered.
• Minimum of fifteen (15) years of progressive HR generalist or HR leadership experience, including benefits administration and compensation program management.
• SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP, PHR/SPHR, or equivalent HR certification.
• Experience administering group health and governmental retirement plans.
• Proficiency with an HRIS platform.

Core Competencies

Conditions of Employment

• Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a comprehensive background screening, including criminal history, employment verification, and education verification.
• Pursuant to Section 9502.0203(b), Texas Special District Local Laws Code, an individual may not be employed by the District if, within the preceding 24 months, the individual had an interest in, was employed by, or was affiliated with a person who submitted a bid or entered into a contract for a District project.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States.
• Must maintain reliable transportation; occasional travel may be required.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Retirement benefits through TCDRS (Texas County and District Retirement System).
• Group life insurance.
• Paid holidays per fiscal year.
• Paid vacation and sick leave accruing from date of hire.
• Paid parental leave.
• Hybrid work schedule.
• Professional development and training opportunities.

How to Apply

Application can be found here. Inquiries should be sent to [email protected] with the subject line “HR & Benefits Director Application — [Your Name]:”

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. GCPD reserves the right to close the posting at any time once a qualified candidate pool has been established.

The Gulf Coast Protection District is an Equal Opportunity Employer. GCPD does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.